I loan friends and family any lights except multi-celled lights.
This is exactly the problem that concerns me the most in lending nice lights. Most people think of flashlights as cheapo throwaway items, and losing one is no different than losing $5-$10.
Bar I used to frequent, manager there asked me to borrow a flashlight so he could help another customer find a wallet. An hour later I asked if they found the wallet, manager says no. Asked for my light... "oh sorry guy must've walked out with it, I'll buy you a drink." Flashlight was a surefire 6p...
I gave my brother an EA4 as a present... was dog sitting over 4th of july. Saw the light... alkaline batteries in there...
Aside from the BIG lights, there is zero appreciation for the fact that flashlights can be sensitive equipment, and not cheap toys.
I don’t get that either. If I borrow something, I will give it back as soon as I can in the best condition I can.
Doesn’t matter to me if it’s something expensive or an 1€ pen.
Stuff sometimes breaks or gets lost, that just might happen even if you give your best to protect it. But if that happens I will replace the item without the need of the owner to ask me . . .
I do when we are with a larger group on a night cache or in a cave or in the woods grilling and chilling 
even my beloved h600w to my girlfriend so she can take some nice pictures
but they have to give it back after the event and I will charge it afterwards
Ditto!
The only time I loan out flashlights is if I’m frog gigging with some boys. And these aren’t lights that I’m gonna get mad about if something happens.
Why dont u just tell the person how much the light costs, and that if they lose it/break it, that’s what it will cost them?
unless you get a deposit upfront you will never see that money
asking for money upfront does not friendship make
The next time a friend asks to borrow your expensive flashlight, ask them if you can borrow their girlfriend
By definition, a friend is someone for whom you will always have time, and to whom you will lend anything you own.
Otherwise, they are an acquaintance.
I am blessed to have 2 friends, and many acquaintances with whom I am friendly.
Might consider loaning my Close Mate, or perhaps a Bird or two. My Penis, a bit more picky, I would think. But a Torch — the very thought of it makes me cringe. How would they treat it, I mean, after all, it requires great appreciation for the electronic arts, to handle such a beast — just a mere heartbeat away from a light saber of sorts. Well, in second thought on the subject, perhaps an old beater: a Q5, C8, I could let go of should even if it were it to befall to some great disaster, of sorts. On whole, I guess that I would be very reluctant to lend such, now a fellow BLFer — no that would be another story. I could polish my beastly thing, put in my best at 4.35 volt (hoping to impress) and my custom driver with a 2x Turbo mode (paralleled with a taser circuit to the switch [in a hidden mode, of course]). Ahem, well say, back to reality, here, would have to give an unqualified: No, except to the latter scenario, of course… J) J)
My best friend has no interest in lights other than using them when needed. So since he wont even listen to me about li-ions and their intricacies….AAA/AA for him too.
Very true. Asking a good friend for a “deposit” on a “flashlight” would not be good.
i doubt he/she would quite understand the point your trying to make and would argue that they are in a different category (them thinking you mean something different then your actual point)
though i would enjoy watching two people having this discussion, i prefer buttered popcorn :party:
Ummmm.... I was joking...
I have leant friends li ion lights, after a serious conversation about not frigging about. My stepson borrows li ion lights for scout camp now and again, kind of upsets the leaders when they get out a 5*5mm head lamp and dylan produces a 4a photon cannon :bigsmile:
For day to day acquaintances, no, in my mind any man who does not have a torch in the home, however puny compared to what we consider the norm is not really a man, what do they do if they have a power cut or something?
A torch is something no one should need to borrow, they may not always carry one, but they should have one available for use, particularly if they need it “for a few days” one of the first things I bought with my first wage was a maglite pack, back in the days when incans were all that was available, guess I’ve always been a latent flashaholic, it just seemed to me that I needed a well made reliable torch, at that time, a couple of maglites fulfilled that role and two decades later, I still have them, they are just awaiting a freshen up for the new millennium.
well then, i will share with you the popcorn 
If I had friends I would let them play with my lights. :8)
Seriously though, It would all depend on which one of my friends and what they needed it for. My best friends can borrow anything they want but my wife. They are the kind of guys who would make sure to make it right if anything did go wrong. As for the rest of my buddies there are some I would give lesser lights to use and some that I simply know better than to trust them will anything other than giveaways and maybe not even them, because I don’t want to be ticked off when they lose it and don’t make it right. Although I have a few friends that I could get rid of and that might be a cheap way of finding out which ones need to go first.
+1
It's not something you just go out and say to a good friend. "Oh hey, by the way, this is an expensive flashlight that costs $150, and batteries are $10 a piece, if you break it or lose it, you bought it."
It depends. I have some friends to which I'd lend any flashlight or power tool I have and there are family members that will never touch anything worth more than a few bucks.
Some people have respect for other peoples property and some dont. Some appreciate a nice built flashlight and some dont..
This is not a fair comparison ………….
flashlights are treasured more than gf/wives……
dont quote me, a friend told me that
from past experience i never lend friends or family my good lights, they get my old lights like the UF C3 P4, if i really don’t like them they get a keyring light
case in point my mother wants to borrow a light she gets the SS UF C3